Stephenson County Board dumps NIDA-abstention effort

FREEPORT — The Stephenson County Board soundly rejected a measure to force Chairman William Hadley and board member Jeff Mikkelsen to abstain from voting on Northwest Illinois Development Alliance business while serving on the nonprofit’s board.

FREEPORT — The Stephenson County Board soundly rejected a measure to force Chairman William Hadley and board member Jeff Mikkelsen to abstain from voting on Northwest Illinois Development Alliance business while serving on the nonprofit’s board.

County Board members Christopher Clukey and David Martindale made impassioned pleas to the board Thursday, asking for the new requirement. The motion failed 13-8.

“In my opinion, Mr. Vogt has not corrected these actions (and has) enabled County Board members to commit a Class 4 felony,” Martindale said, referencing a potential conflict of interest. “We, the citizens of Stephenson County, need to rise up and hold our public officials responsible.”

Stephenson County State’s Attorney John Vogt refuted Martindale’s comments, saying it was “reckless and irresponsible” to accuse board members of a felony when facts don’t support it.

NIDA, a public-private partnership, works to bring new business to the area. The 13-member board of directors includes representatives of the county, Freeport and the business community.

Clukey and Martindale say a state law supports their view that public officials are prohibited from having a direct or indirect interest, financial or personal, in another organization that is being voted on.

They fear that board members serving on NIDA’s board may have the nonprofit’s best interest at heart, which could sway their votes on awarding funding to the nonprofit. The problem, Clukey said, is not with Hadley and Mikkelsen, specifically, but with any person serving on both boards.

The county contributed $100,000 to NIDA in 2012 but did not budget an allocation for the agency this year.

To avoid even the appearance of a conflict, Clukey said, the simplest thing to do would be to abstain from voting: “We’re not talking about chopping off somebody’s head. We’re just talking about two people abstaining (from) voting on a couple of issues a year.”

Vogt said the county is protecting itself by having members on NIDA’s board to ensure that money is properly spent. He also said the law is open to interpretation for defining a conflict of interest.

NIDA board Chairman Mike Clark, executive vice president and chief financial officer of FHN, does not believe there’s a conflict.

“They’re not representing anybody else’s interests” but the county’s, Clark said. “Conflict comes into play when you have a personal vested interest in something other than the good of the county.”

County officials are working with Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, to draft legislation to clearly define whether there is an ethical violation.

“I don’t want to get involved in a county issue, but if I can help with clarification on how the county should deal with it, I take it very seriously,” he said.

Tabled for 90 days an amendment of the county code authorizing the “constitutional carry of firearms.” The state is under a federal court order to craft legislation by June 8 allowing Illinoisans to carry concealed firearms.

Referred a resolution to committee to sever the Northwest Illinois Development Alliance’s holding agreement on the Mill Race Crossing property.